GTA 6 Map Mod in GTA 5 Taken Down by Take-Two, Creator Says It Was 'Too Accurate'

The modder known as 'Dark Space' has halted all work on his ambitious project to recreate the Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6) map within Grand Theft Auto 5 (GTA 5). This decision came after a takedown notice from Take-Two, the owner of Rockstar Games. Dark Space's mod, which was available for free download, was crafted using leaked coordinate data and official trailer shots from GTA 6. The mod gained significant attention in January, drawing in eager fans of the franchise who were keen to explore a fan-made version of what awaits them in the upcoming official release on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S this fall.

The situation escalated when Dark Space received a copyright strike notification from YouTube following a removal request by Take-Two. Aware that multiple strikes could lead to channel termination, Dark Space proactively removed all download links to his mod, even though Take-Two hadn't directly requested this action. In a response video, he criticized Take-Two, hinting that the accuracy of his map recreation might have been the reason behind their aggressive move.

In a subsequent interview with IGN, Dark Space expressed a philosophical outlook, noting that he had anticipated such action based on Take-Two's history of similar takedowns. He suggested that his mod, closely aligned with a community mapping project using leaked data, may have threatened to spoil the surprise of GTA 6's map for players. "I think my map could have ruined the surprise of their map, which I get. If you spent years building out this amazing game world just to have some YouTuber spoil the experience of the map's shape, size, and vibe... I'd want it removed too," Dark Space remarked.

As a result, Dark Space's GTA 6 mod project is now defunct. He emphasized that the project is not merely under threat but completely eliminated, stating, "Well they clearly do not want this project to exist... There’s no point putting more time into something that goes directly against what they’re willing to allow." He plans to focus on creating other content, steering clear of further GTA 5 mods related to GTA 6 due to the perceived risks.

Concerns now linger over the future of the GTA 6 community mapping project, which might be the next target of Take-Two's legal actions. IGN has reached out to the group for comment.

GTA 6 Key Art's Hidden Map..?

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Take-Two has a track record of shutting down fan projects, as seen with the recent takedown of the YouTube channel behind the 'GTA Vice City Nextgen Edition' mod, which revamped the world, cutscenes, and missions of 2002's Vice City within the 2008's GTA 4 framework.

Defending Take-Two's actions, former Rockstar Games technical director Obbe Vermeij stated on Twitter that the company is simply protecting its business interests. He pointed out that mods like the 'VC NextGen Edition' directly compete with official products like the Definitive Edition, while projects like the Liberty City preservation could interfere with potential future remasters. Vermeij suggested that fans should focus their hopes on mods that do not conflict with Rockstar's commercial ventures, such as the 'DCA3' project for GTA 3 on Dreamcast.

As the gaming community awaits the release of GTA 6, IGN continues to provide coverage on related developments, including insights from a former Rockstar developer about potential delays, comments from Take-Two's CEO Strauss Zelnick on the future of GTA Online post-GTA 6, and discussions on the capabilities of the PS5 Pro in running GTA 6 at 60 frames per second.